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University presidents highlight faculty honors, major gifts, construction and workforce partnerships in Regents reports
Summary
Presidents from Iowa State, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa gave campus updates covering faculty honors (AAAS fellows, National Academy recognitions), a $42 million gift for a new industrial engineering building, SciTown construction, Ames Lab leadership change, and workforce-focused campus programs.
University presidents used their reports at the April 24 Iowa Board of Regents meeting to summarize recent campus achievements, capital projects, donor commitments and workforce partnerships across the three regent institutions.
Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen highlighted faculty recognitions including nine faculty named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Robert Brown’s election to the National Academy of Engineering. Wintersteen noted two faculty named to the National Academy of Inventors and described partnerships with Iowa businesses, citing Tiefenthaler Quality Meats of Holstein as an example of the land-grant mission in action. She also noted selection of Carl Mueller as director of the Ames National Laboratory effective July 1 and announced construction under way for the first SciTown building—the McFarland Clinic, a 78,000-square-foot facility projected to open in late 2026 or early 2027.
University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson focused on faculty recognition and efforts to retain midcareer faculty, philanthropy for named positions, and student outcomes. Wilson said 52% of in-state undergraduates graduate with no debt and that among those who do graduate with debt, the average was $28,800 (figure presented as the campus average during her remarks). She described a recent $3 million gift from the Bedford Falls Foundation to the College of Nursing that will fund scholarships and support a state mobile SIM training program.
University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook described recent ribbon-cutting and facility updates, workforce-focused academic programs including a new nursing and public health department and an applied engineering and technical management program, and campus outreach such as naturalization ceremonies hosted by the UNI Center for Civic Education. Nook emphasized UNI’s role in statewide workforce development, including outreach to surrounding states and a UNI-at-IACC distance program that allows students to complete bachelor's degrees after community college transfer.
All three presidents expressed appreciation for Regent Jim Lindemeyer, whose last meeting was April 24; the board read and presented a resolution honoring Lindemeyer’s service. Several presidents also praised donors who funded capital projects, including a $42 million gift for the Turkelson Industrial Engineering Building at Iowa State.
